Is it possible it’s already time for the garlic harvest? I’m always grateful for this time of year when every box has what I consider kitchen essentials – garlic or green onions or bulb onions.. I am pretty certain I could not get through a week’s cooking without at least one. Members of the onion family are just essential to the way I cook. Most often one week’s harvest is gone before the next box arrives.
That’s not always the case with everything in the box. Some Sunday nights find me looking at a few bits and pieces – some turnips, squash that didn’t find its way into some other dish, the remnants of a big head of cabbage. That’s when we serve “CSA Surprise.” Dinner guests have come to expect it. A few tablespoons of butter melted in a big cast iron skillet. Then add sliced long cooking vegetables like the turnips, cook a bit, add cabbage or greens that need more time in the heat, finally toss in diced or sliced quicker cooking vegetables.
I’ve been totally surprised by how well accepted this mélange turns out to be. People who would never eat turnips consume them happily when they’re just part of a big mix. Guess it’s sort of a braised version of a stir fry.
With all the yellow squash and zucchini in today’s box you might be looking for squash inspiration. Check out https://grassfedcow.com/
I’m adding two more recipes to the collection. One – the celery and green onion soup – because it’s delicious but also because you may find two big stalks of celery (one last week, one this week) to be more than you can use before it begins to wilt. This cold soup is a great way to use a big stalk of celery. Not to mention it’s just gorgeous.
Broccoli Peanut Stir fry
This recipe came from Southern Living magazine originally. Probably more than a decade ago.
1 (16-oz.) package firm tofu
2 cups uncooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup carrot sticks
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Garnish: lime wedges
Place tofu between 2 flat plates. Weight the top with a heavy can. (Sides of tofu should be bulging slightly but not cracking.) Let stand 45 minutes; discard liquid. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
Prepare rice according to package directions, adding 1/2 teaspoon salt.
While rice is cooking, combine vegetable broth with brown sugar, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger in a medium bowl, stirring well. Add tofu and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove tofu from marinade, reserving marinade.
Heat oils in a nonstick skillet or wok over high heat 1 minute. Add tofu, and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove tofu. Add broccoli and carrot sticks; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened; stir in cooked tofu. Serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Garnish, if desired.
Celery and Green Onion Soup
As demonstrated by Chef Ryan Smith at the Freedom Farmers Market. If you have a juicer, then you’re set to make your own celery juice. Otherwise, consider substituting vegetable broth. The resulting soup is way more than the sum of its simple parts.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Green onions
Sea salt
Celery
2 cups celery juice or vegetable stock
2 lemons
1/4 loaf sourdough bread
2 bunches baby carrots, washed and shaved into thin rings
Slightly warm the olive oil up in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cut the white bottoms off the green onions and reserve the tops. Add the onion bottoms to the pot of oil and season with a pinch of salt. Slowly cook the onions, stirring constantly to prevent color.
While the onions are cooking cut the leaves off the celery. Slice the celery stems into inch pieces and add to the pot. Continue to cook the onions and celery for 10 minutes.
Add the celery juice (or vegetable stock) and bring to a boil. Once the juice is at a boil add the celery leaves and green onion tops. Cook for 1 minute and take off the heat.
Prepare an ice bath and submerge a container into it that will hold the finished soup. Puree the soup in a blender on high until completely smooth. Strain the soup directly into the container in the ice bath. Chill the soup as fast as possible to retain the vibrant green color. Adjust the seasoning and reserve the soup until ready to serve.
Dice the sourdough into small bite size pieces. Fry the sourdough in a small pot of oil over medium heat until golden brown.
Make a small salad of lemon zest and juice, carrots, and the fried sourdough. Season the salad with a little sea salt and olive oil.
To serve, place 2 ounces of the soup in a bowl. Top the soup with the salad and a little bit of celery leaves and carrot tops.